Green Ultra-Luxury: Bentley Touts the Venerable Bentayga’s Hybrid Platform
Technology is often about the cutting-edge whether of design or in execution but ultra-luxury automobiles are typically quite the opposite. This staid segment of the overall industry rarely embraces radical change and, instead, focuses on the amenities its clientele requires as well as honing its expertise in design and craftsmanship.
So, as you can imagine, when a marquee nameplate like Bentley embraces a relatively new technology for a model in its lineup, analysts wondering what the future of the industry at large might look like take notice. Such is the case with Bentley’s announcement that their first-ever SUV would also shoulder another first for the nameplate when it introduced a hybrid powertrain for the ultra-luxury barge, the company’s Bentayga.
Of course, one of the top concerns for fans of Bentley and its massive engines is what kinds of compromises a buyer has to make with a hybrid powertrain. The company assured us that, far from compromising, this latest iteration in the Bentayga line is all about delivering exactly what a certain clientele wants and much more.
Now, with the second-generation Bentayga right around the corner, we’re seeing more evidence of this emerging green ultra-luxury segment that the nameplate helped pioneer. In addition to styling updates to bring the hybrid in line with the other SUVs bearing the Bentayga name, the new model is also more attuned to the needs of a daily driver than others in the company’s lineup. Why? The company found that a vast majority of the owners of the original Bentayga hybrid drove them on an almost daily basis.
This is quite a change from the sedans offered by the company that see occasional use when owned personally. Another huge finding from the first-generation of Bentayga hybrid owners that the company noted is that nearly all of them ran the vehicle in EV only mode when they could. Going forward with these two things in mind, the latest generation focuses on improved daily use and EV modes as well as offering the latest in a suite of electronic features and amenities that buyers expect to have in terms of connectivity.
Inside, the latest Bentayga hybrid has a 10.9-inch touchscreen as well as a spacious and roomy backseat. Another first for a Bentley, the hybrid Bentayga features a “diamond-brushed” aluminum interior as well as the addition of two new wood options: Koa and Crown Cut Walnut.
The SUV has three driving modes: EV Drive, Hybrid, and Hold. In terms of hard numbers, the Bentayga doesn’t disappoint with a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 engine mated to an E Motor pumping out some 126 horsepower for a total of 443 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque. You get 31 miles on an electric-only mode with 536 miles total. The massive 17.3-kWh lithium-ion battery can recharge in about two and a half hours at a maximum rate of 7.2 kWh. Bentley offers owners a wall box for charging their SUV at home if they desire.